


Crystal Millennium

by Sapphira



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime), Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Manga), Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Crystal Tokyo Era, Destruction, Doom, Dysfunctional Family, Family Dynamics, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Modern Era, Modern Royalty, Moral Dilemmas, Morally Ambiguous Character, Original Character(s), Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-19
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-01-16 06:39:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1335748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphira/pseuds/Sapphira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The heir-apparent of Crystal Tokyo has finally come of age, allowing the reign of peace to continue. But lying forgotten in the ruins of the old, an ancient voices cries out to condemn the Line of the Moon as blight upon the planet. With a new war, the senshi must awaken once more. Are they willing to embrace another war in exchange for only a promise of peace?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally began writing this fanfiction to cope with several deaths in my family. The underlying theme of this fanfiction is that life does not always turn out the way you think it will. People change and you drift apart from those you considered to be the closest to you. Not only that, but you change as well. I stopped writing because life got busy: I started grad school and threw myself into a plethora of activities with reckless abandon. Within a few weeks, things changed dramatically. To make an incredibly long story short, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It is of the non-cancerous variety, but still has really thrown me for a loop, so I am hoping to repost my fanfiction and receive the same comfort I felt when I began writing it. 
> 
> Hopefully I can tell a story and with luck, you will be able to enjoy it. I can’t promise it will be full of sunshine and rainbows, but it isn't going to be all angst all the time. Just like life, it has its ups and downs.

"The price of love is grief, and death and life are one in the same. Stars and planets die, nothing lasts forever."

_\---_

_Shroud in the cover of a thick silvery fog, she ran…_

_With each step, the muscles in her legs screamed in protest. There was no time to worry about that. The only thing that mattered to her was getting away. Oh, but she was exhausted!_

If only I could reach my broach… _She felt the familiar weight of the object. But trying to reach out and touch it was as futile as attempting to grasp the fog she was shroud in; her hands just ran through it._

 _The wind behind her picked up, she felt it on the back of her neck. With it, came a voice that whispered,_ 'Why do you run? Do you flee because you are afraid? Yes,'  _it mused,_  'you are afraid. I can sense your fear.'

_Startled, she lost her footing and fell, scraping her knees on the way. Moments that seemed like hours passed with her just staring in shock confusion. The reality of the situation soon became clear. Frantically, she darted her head around in each direction in search of the voice._

_There was no time._

_Getting off the ground proved difficult. Her whole body ached. She would be sore come the dawn. Despite the pain, she laughed. There would be no morning. She was here for eternity. That was if she didn't get far, far away._

But what was the point? _Her mind inquired._ There was no hope for a doomed soul.

No. Not yet! There was always hope! Even in her worst times, she always had hope.

_With a desperate haste she continued at the same pace before._

_After being subjected to the torture she put them through, her legs finally gave up. They simply went limp, causing the woman to tumble down and lay sprawled on the ground._

_She did not know whether to laugh or cry—she wanted to do both. The irony! She was going to die._

Not without a fight.  _Hope_ , she told herself,  _she had to hold on to the hope that she will live._

 _The voice was back, the whisper interrupting the stillness of her surroundings._ 'I found you.'

_So familiar. She knew if she listened closely, she would be able to remember._

Just listen…

_All thoughts were shattered when unseen ice cold hands gripped around her throat as nails dug deep into her flesh. As tissue and muscle were torn, all she could do was scream. Her screaming only intensified when she felt the first warm trickle of blood on her throat._

"Be at ease,'  _the owner of the voice tried to sound soothing, but the woman was in no position to be comforted._ 'I won't have to kill. I am here for what is rightfully mine."

" _What do you want of me?" She heard the echo her voice cry out._  
  
'The Crystal.'  _The voice breathed in reply._

_In an instant, she was overwhelmed. Ghostly strings entwined her heart pulling her, calling her to obey. Tears streamed down her face as she felt her will fade away. Just a bit longer and she would give in to everything and anything that was asked of her..._

_Through all of this, she abruptly found another emotion: determination mixed with anger. She was no longer some girl to be chased, tortured, and manipulated. In the past, she may have lacked the strength and gave in. Not anymore. . The anger squeezed itself into a hard knot and she clung to it._

" _No." Was all she said._

_The grip around her neck tightened but for a moment, then released. The stench of decay lay thick around her. And then suddenly, the fog lifted and she was able to recognize her surroundings. It was the Moon. She was on the Moon._

_Except she was not alone. Before her, stood a figure shroud in a cloak of shadows. Despite that, she could feel the figure's eyes on her._ "That was a mistake."  _Was all the cloaked figure said before the world faded._

Neo-Queen Serenity's eyes shot open. Despite the warm late June breeze from the open window, she felt cold. "It was a dream." she murmured to assure herself. "Just a dream."

The queen sat up from her bed and tossed off the blanket she had covered herself with before her nap. With the trials of her youth and the memories of her past life, Serenity was no stranger to nightmares. She shrugged the dream off as she had shrugged off many things throughout her long reign.

Today was not about her or her strange dream. Today was her daughter's Coming of Age ceremony. Just like the dream, Serenity pushed aside the thought that it was also her forty-second birthday. Thinking of her own age and the fact her only daughter was finally an adult was not something she liked to dwell on for too long.

Serenity smoothed the blankets over the bed. In her youth, she detested the thought of making a bed. Servants would have to make the bed, so Serenity got in the habit of making their lives a little easier by at least attempting to be tidy. Or at least trying. Serenity still considered herself a work in progress.

The Neo-Queen shrugged off her bedclothes and hung them on the peg outside her bathroom where a bath was already drawn for her. The room was already filled with a thin layer of steam that caused the mirrors to fog up. Despite that, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Her body aged slower, but she was beginning to detect certain aspects were not as firm as they used to be.

Dismaying over stretch marks and her breast's losing battle with gravity did not catch her attention. Walking to the mirror, Serenity used her hand to wipe part of the mirror clean and examined her neck. She felt no pain, but there were ten gashes on her neck, resembling fingernails.

Blinking, Serenity examined the marks to make sure they were real. She stood in the bathroom for several moments, just staring at her refection in the mirror. Slowly, she withdrew from the mirror and moved towards the bath. She would speak to Endymion tomorrow about this. For now, she would cover the area with a jeweled choker. The pink one he had given her for their tenth anniversary, she decided. It was lovely and would cover the ugliness of her dream and the resulting injury.

By the time she bathed and dressed, Endymion had arrived and seated himself on the edge of their bed, dressed in his royal finery. Age had caught up to the king faster than the queen. He was no longer the boy she fell in love with during a masked ball many millennia and a lifetime ago, but Endymion looked more dignified than ever. Every time she looked at her husband, she felt the same as she had when she first met him.

"Your choker looks fine, Usako. Stop fiddling with it." He told her in a soft voice. "Next to our daughter, you'll be the most beautiful one there."

Serenity back to the mirror one last time to ensure the choker had not slipped out of place. She trusted her husband's words, but she needed to hide her expression. Serenity loved her daughter dearly, but over the years, they had grown apart. Her own husband calling her only second best hurt more than Serenity cared to let on.

 _Today is about Usa-chan_ , Serenity reminded herself. _It is her day to be the best._

Her attention went to the door when she heard a faint knock. "Come in, Utsumi-san." Serenity called.

The door opened and emitted a tall woman with soft features. Her blue wavy hair was carefully placed in a bun. The young woman cast her dark watery blue eyes to the ground before deeply bowing before her sovereigns. "I am here to tell Your Royal Majesties that everything set up for Her Royal Highnesses' Coming of Age ceremony."

"Thank you, Utsumi-san." Serenity said. The young woman bowed once more before quietly exiting the room. Utsumi Ayumi was always as quiet as possible. Often, she was nearly silent. Serenity always found the servant's quietness disturbing while Endymion preferred it over the noisier and clumsier servants that Serenity favored.

Serenity cast one last glance in the mirror before exiting her apartments. Endymion was right behind her. Her daughter was already in the hallway. She wore a light pink and white furisode that had been embroidered with even lighter pink cherry blossoms. For the occasion, her hair was neatly wrapped in a tight bun. Her bangs were too short to slick back, so she just brushed them out as tidy as possible. A servant placed a hair accessory in the princesses pink tresses.

The decoration was a red flower that Serenity could not identify. She just caught sight of the beads attached to the hair accessory. It looked like they would slap the princess in the face every time she moved her head. Serenity knew that before the end of the night her daughter would rip the ornament out in frustration.

Even so, the princess looked every inch of the adult she was, but her outfit...

"I didn't know you were planning on wearing that." Endymion said. "I thought you were going to wear the royal regalia."

Small Lady Princess Serenity just fixed her father with a smile. "But Papa, I look better in pink! Besides, we're in Japan and celebrating a Japanese tradition! I felt it was important to be dressed traditionally." She paused a moment to reflect on her words. "Well, as traditionally as possible anyway. We're not exactly keeping with tradition, are we?"

Endymion looked over at Serenity. "There really is no time for her to change..."

"And it is her birthday." Serenity finished. "She can dress how she wants to." Even if it meant interfering with the ceremony, Serenity mentally added.

"Just like you, Mama since it’s your birthday as well." The princess said. "That choker definitely is not part of the royal regalia!"

Before Serenity had a chance to process what her daughter meant by that comment, Endymion spoke up. "All Usagi's friends are waiting as are yours and all the other guests. Shall we proceed to the ballroom, ladies?"

Ever since she entered high school, Chibiusa insisted being called by her real name or by Usa, Usa-chan, or any variant thereof. It took some adjusting, but after Usa threatened on being called Usako, Serenity relented. "We should not keep our guests waiting."

"Who goes first again?" Usa asked.

"You're the guest of honor, so we will walk behind you." Serenity said. While on the way to the ballroom, Serenity could not help but adjusting her choker one final time.

\----

"Their Royal Majesties, Neo-Queen Serenity King Endymion and Her Royal Highness Princess Serenity!" Usa heard a page call out as she swept into the grand ballroom. Usa stopped identifying the location of pages wherever she went. They were always just there, somewhere, waiting to announce her when she walked into formal events.

She also wanted to concentrate on not tripping over her own feet. Usa may have disliked the way the traditional royal regalia brought out the weird pink and yellow undertones of her skin, but it was much easier to walk in than her current outfit!

When her feet landed on the floor, Usa breathed a quick sigh of relief. She quickly scanned the crowd for signs of a familiar face. It may have been her party, but her father reminded her that she needed to uphold formalities. As far as she could recognize, the French President was in attendance along with the British Prime Minister. While she forgot what the new American general looked like, she spotted a few American flags on soldiers' dress uniforms and knew at least one high ranking American diplomat was in attendance as well. She would need to speak to all of them at least once tonight.

She had to get through the hard part first before she attempted to communicate in her horrendous English. On the other side of the ballroom, a small throne was set up. She made her way towards it while making eye contact with a guest here or there and giving a slight nod or smile. Or both. It really depending on what she felt like.

By the time she reached the throne, her facial muscles felt a little bit strained. By that time, the room was so quiet that Usa felt people towards the staircase heard her sit on the throne. As soon as she did so, she saw her parents by each side of the throne. Between the time she arrived in the ballroom and her moving to the throne, her mother was given a small purple pillow with a small silver tiara on the middle.

Her heart began to thump a little.  _So this is why they wanted me to wear the regalia!_ She only hoped her hair piece would not interfere with whatever her parents planned on doing. Her mother presented the tiara to the crowd. "I, Neo-Queen Serenity of the Moon and Earth." she intoned.

"And I King Endymion of Earth..." her father continued.

"Declare you of age." Serenity finished. UsUsaagi had no idea how her mother did it, but she placed the tiara on her head. By the smile her mother had on her face, she could tell that she did not look ridiculous with two head ornaments. Or her mother was secretly laughing at her. Usa wasn't really sure.

"By the light of the Silver Moon, I name you, Chiba Usagi, Princess Serenity a scion of the Silver Millennium." Serenity finished.

"By the grace of the Earth, I name you, Chiba Usagi Princess Serenity, the heir to Elysion and the Crystal Throne."

As a mercy, the tiara was taken off of her head and placed back on the pillow. She did not see where the tiara went because as soon as her mother departed, people came to speak to now declared heir of the Crystal Millennium. Many faces she did not recognize, but she spoke as candidly to the well-wishers as possible. Through the line, she spotted Hotaru. In spite of her older age, the young woman looked like she was still in her late teens. It was always nice speaking to her childhood friend, but the gaps in age made things awkward. She also spotted the Homura twins, the children of Rei. Not too far away, their mother was happily speaking to Makoto with the rest of the Ohayashi clan nearby.

Hotaru's presence was not unwelcomed. However, the older woman's facial expression was odd. She kept eyeballing the two women in front of her. As they got closer, Usagi was able to make out their appearance. The other woman once boasted the same raven black hair of her younger companion, but it was now streaked with white and grey. In spite of that, her face appeared fairly youthful. As much as she tried to pay attention to who she was speaking to, her gaze kept moving back to the duo that Usa decided had to be mother and daughter.

When it was their turn, she finally caught a glimpse of them. Both women had sparkling lavender eyes. The older woman looked much older close up while the younger had a youthful doll-like appearance. Upon reaching them, both women dropped in a deep curtsy. "Allow us to introduce ourselves." the older woman said. "I am Semele and this is my child, Thyone. We are of the _oneiroi_ , the spirits of dreams and Maneads of Elysion sent on behalf of the High Priest Helios.”

At the mention of Helios, Usa felt her pulse begin to quicken. Helios had sent them…? But why didn’t he come himself? She immediately felt her father's hand rest protectively on her shoulder.

"Elysion has always been a friend to the Royal Family of Earth and is now a friend of the Line of the Moon.” Semele continued, nodding at Endymion. “Our High Priest deeply regrets not coming himself and hopes you understand.”

Thyone fixed Endymion with a cold state, her lavender eyes glinting like two chips of ice. “Do you not acknowledge us out of shame?”

Before anyone even had a chance to process what the younger woman said, her mother spoke up. "My daughter is young and has not learned to control her tongue." Semele quickly explained. “Us Maneads often forget how much time has truly passed between the fall of the Silver Millennium and now. Forgive any impetuous words. Our presence here is only to bestow blessings of happiness and perpetual peace for the Line of the Earth and Moon.”

“Thank you for your kind words.” Endymion said, speaking for his daughter. “You are both most welcome here.”

"Thank you, Semele said, "but my daughter and I have our place and it is not in Crystal Tokyo."

"Then please, stay as long as you need. If you ever need anything, never hesitate to ask." Serenity said, addressing the pair for the first time.

"We are appreciative towards your hospitality" Semele said before departing. Thyone lingered for a moment longer before bowing her head and following her mother.

"That was strange." Usa whispered to Hotaru as she approached.

Hotaru watched the pair depart for a moment longer before turning to her old friend to speak. "I only briefly heard what they had to say. They seem harmless enough, but it is odd, that’s all.”

“I guess,” Usa agreed. “I had hoped Helios would have come. I haven’t seen him since I was sent back to the past…”

"Well, congratulations, Princess." Hotaru said, suddenly looking uncomfortable. Usa wished she hadn't made that comment about Helios.  "I should go. Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa would be disappointed if they could not get a chance to speak to you. And I know I spotted Aino-san in the crowd. I forget her married name, but I know she came all the way from England to see you."

"Well, okay, I'll talk to you later!" Usa said with all the enthusiasm she could muster.

Her back was beginning to ache from sitting upright. In an attempt to ease her comfort, she sat back into the throne while attempting to still sit upright. Just as she did that, she heard a loud crash towards the back of the ballroom. Initially, Usa thought nothing of it until she heard several more that was accompanied by panicked shouts.

Usa immediately stood up and climbed on the seat of the throne in order to get a better look. The crowd was starting to part, but she could see two figures clad in a metallic outfits that looked like a hybrid between the bodysuit of a sailor uniform and armor. They were both attacking the crowd. The first woman dressed in lavender with gold accents had copper skin that deeply contrasted her pale lavender hair and sharp gold eyes. The second woman wore light blue with darker blue accents. Her pale blue hair cascaded down her back in soft waves and watery deep blue eyes were scanning the crowd.

"Mama, that's Utsumi-san in the crowd!" Usa cried. She immediately looked over at her mother who was clutching her broach. "You need to transform!"

Now that she thought about it, none of the other Sailor Guardians were fighting despite the fact they were in the crowd. Her own broach appeared in her hands. "Moon Crisis MAKE UP!" she called.

Furrowing her eyebrows together, Usa remembered she could only transform to Super Sailor Moon in the presence of Sailor Moon.  Still...she had to do something.

Holding her broach up one more time, she called out, "Moon Prism Power MAKE UP!"

Once more, nothing.

"Just like you can’t become sailor Chibi Moon, I can't transform to become Sailor Moon anymore..." Serenity said softly. She unfolded her fingers from around her broach and held out her hand to Usa. "Not anymore. But think you can."

With her free hand, Usa grabbed her mother's. As soon as she did do, her own broach shattered and disappeared. She opened her mother's broach and touched stone inside of it. The moment she did so, the broach transformed from a winged golden heart to a gilded silver heart with a crescent moon etched in its center. Usa lifted the broach out and called out, "Moon Celestial Power! Make Up!" 

She did not have time to look down at her new uniform before Neo Sailor Moon jumped into action. Several people lay on the ground, clearly injured.  Neo Sailor Moon tried not to stare at the blood.

Her transformation got the attention of the assailants. "Oh look, Quintessence." Ayumi said nonchalantly. "The little princess is now Sailor Moon. Not for long though."

Neo Moon immediately raised her new pink and silver scepter, the Celestial Scepter. Before she could say any words of power, she felt herself being pushed to the ground. The world became a blur as she heard even more panicked cries from the crowd. 

That is when she registered a weight bearing down on her. Moon's head whipped around to see one of the American soldiers on top of her. It only took a second for her to register the blood that was pouring from the young woman's back and out of her mouth. The other assailant, Quintessence was standing above her.

"Kami-sama…" Neo Moon breathed. She would have been attacked if it was not for that soldier.

"SILENCE WALL!" Neo Moon heard another voice cry out. She immediately knew who it was. While it was a relief to know Sailor Saturn was fighting, it also sent a shiver up her spine.

A faint purple haze surrounded both Neo Sailor Moon and the solider. That gave Sailor Moon enough time to move the soldier in a more comfortable position. "Thank you," she whispered to the woman as she gently placed her on the grand before standing upright.

Neo Sailor Saturn had her gaze transfixed on Quintessence, so Neo Sailor Moon turned to Ayumi. She raised her scepter. "Silver Moon Scant—"

Before she could finish her attack, Ayumi disappeared in a flash of blue light. Neo Sailor Moon lowered her scepter and turned to see that Quintessence had disappeared as well.

"Their method of attack seems strange." Neo Saturn observed.

"What do you mean?" Moon asked.

"It's like they were deliberately targeting certain people. They expected you, but disappeared once I transformed." Saturn moved to the injured solider. She reached and touched the neck. Sailor Moon only assumed she was looking for a pulse.

"She's still alive." Saturn said. "I can do what I can to heal her. Look to see who else is hurt. I’ll heal as many as I can."

By now, nearly the entire grand ballroom was nearly empty. All around her, people were sprawled out either injured, dead, or dying. Sailor Moon's stomach churned and she had to fight the urge not to get sick. Witnessing this was not part of the training she received in the twenty-first century.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The battle was over and Usa was ushered out of the ballroom. She had tried to wait outside the doors of the ballroom, but was stopped from doing so. Instead, Usa retreated to a corner several meters away from the main entrance of the ballroom where she remained undisturbed while she watched as stretchers carried out the injured. Each time she saw a stretcher pass, she felt a knot twist in the pit of her stomach.

But each time the stretcher contained a person in a body bag, Usa had to divert her eyes. She reacted as fast as she could and there was no way to predict the attack. Even so, she felt like she failed them.

Usa’s gaze lingered at the last stretcher went down the corridor. The body in the bag was smaller. She saw several children in the ballroom. How someone could attack a child was beyond her.

"Small Lady? You should not have to see this."

Usa quickly looked in the direction of the voice. On the stretcher was MizukiAmi, a bloodstained bandage was on the side of her head.

"Mizuki-san!" Usa cried, quickly moving to the stretcher. "I didn't know you were attacked."

"I wasn't." Ami answered. "I don't believe so anyway. My head hit the pillar. Masaru -I mean, my husband…Mizuki-sensei--did a quick assessment before he took Shinobu-chan out of the ballroom. I believe I a mild concussion at most and just need to be monitored."

"But you're bleeding." Usa pointed out.

Ami touched the bandage to show her injury was not causing her any serious pain. "The wound is superficial. Mizuki-sensei doesn't believe it even needs stitches. Head wounds always bleed the most, Small Lady. You have other things to worry about than to fret over me."

"Is there anything I can do though?"

Ami considered a moment. "Shinobu-chan saw things today no one much less a child should see. She is probably terrified. I'm sure a visit from the princess who saved the day would give her some comfort."

Shinobu was Ami's eight year old daughter. In a stark contrast to her quiet methodical parents, Shinobu was a hyperactive child who was mesmerized by the fantastical and dreamed of fairy tales.

"I can do that." Usa promised. Without a doubt, Shinobu would look at her like she was a warrior- princess. Unfortunately, she felt like the complete opposite of one. Hotaru saved the day, not her.

* * *

 "None of the other Sailor Guardians were able to transform. But the only one who was is Sailor fucking Saturn!" Elemental Champion Water fumed. A weathered vase sat next to her. She kicked it over in frustration. It didn't shatter. She paused a moment before picking it up and kicking it again. "What can we honestly do about that?"

While her companion vented, Elemental Champion Fire reclined in her chair. To keep herself entertained, she twisted a strand of her cropped golden hair. The tips were a deep red that matched her eyes. When it was clear Water was done abusing inanimate objects, she just shrugged. "Simple, Water-chan. Kill her."

"A novel idea, Fire." Elemental Champion Water said. "How do you propose we do that? Shall I go back to being a servant and wait until Sailorsaturm shows up and stab her?"

Fire snorted. "Don't be so myopic. You and Quinty attacked the princess' little party, injured and killed some people. Sailormoon showed up as expected, but so did Saturn. No other senshi transformed despite the entire Sailor Team and their spawns being in the ballroom. We know their numbers, they don't know ours. You ruffled some feathers and got out of there like it was planned. For all the Royal Family knows, we failed out objective."

"None of them missed a chromosome at birth. They are going to see right through us.”

"And by the time they do figure it out, it will be too late." Fire said simply. "But now that I actually took time and listened to you, I am dying to know how the party went."

"I waited for Quintessence to show up, transformed, and started attacking at random while Quintessence went after the targets."

"So does that mean Old Lady Semele is dead?" Fire asked excitedly.

"Unless she was just pinning for fjords, she's dead." Water answered. When the only response from Fire was to laugh, Water furrowed her brows. "Well, aren't you just a sadistic little bitch."

"She was old. Her days were numbered and Quinty just expedited the process. You haven't finished though. When you started attacking, did everyone start screaming? How about the Queen? Was she afraid? How about the other Senshi? Did you get any of them?"

Water stood for a few moments, just staring at Fire. "You're twisted." She finally said before exiting the room.

* * *

 "The only way anyone can manifest in a dream is through Elysion." Artemis surmised. Neo-Queen Serenity was seated next to King Endymion on a couch while Artemis and Luna sat next to one another on the floor. Diana was laying underneath the couch the king and queen sat on, just listening to her parents talk.

Artemis addressed Endymion. "There has been no activity from Elysion, correct?"

The king just shook his head to indicate that he had not heard anything.

"In any case, I think it may be best to travel to Elysion and speak to Helios. Even if he doesn't know anything, he may be able to help us understand why the queen was attacked." Luna said.

"How?" Artemis asked. "I don't want to disagree with you, Luna. But accessing Elysion is not exactly easy."

"There is a way to get there. Semele and Thyone got here just fine." Endymion said. "Who would go?"

For the first time in the conversation, Diana spoke up, poking her head out from underneath the couch. "I can."

"No." Artemis said firmly. "Your place is here with the princess."

"I don't know what I can do for Usa-hime." Diana said sheepishly. "You and Mama will be more helpful than I will. You know what to do, I don't. If I went to Elysion to find out what happened to Serenity-sama, I could at least help."

Artemis considered what his daughter said before looking over at Luna. "It's your call."

"Well…" Luna considered. "Elysion is the safest place on Earth."

"So I can go?" Diana asked, her pink eyes glistening with excitement.

"You can go." Luna said. "We agreed that the appearance of the two Maneads is not connected to the attack as Semele was killed. Her daughter is in shock over the entire situation. Which leads me to my next point: the Sailor Guardians."

"Makoto, Minako, Haruka, and Michiru tried to transform but couldn't." Serenity said. "Chibiusa tried to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon. When I could not transform into Sailor Moon, I knew it was Chibiusa's time to become Sailormoon."

"Then the others can pass down their powers too, correct?" Endymion asked.

"I don't think it's that simple." Serenity told her husband. "Hotaru has no heir and is still Sailor Saturn. Haruka and Michiru don't have any children either."

"The Princess and Hotaru-chan can't fight alone." Diana protested. "Minako has a daughter old enough to be a guardian. Makoto has a daughter too! Same with Ami!"

"Shinobu is eight years old." Luna reminded Diana. "I don't think Serenity-sama and Endymion-sama would be comfortable having a child become a soldier."

"Chibiusa-chan was the only exception I will ever make. She also had the protection of the entire Sailor Team. Rei tried passing her power down to her daughter and couldn’t. She has a son, but I don’t think there ever has been a male senshi. Miyu-chan isn’t mature enough to handle the power and Danica isn’t even living in Japan.” Serenity said, referring respectively to Makoto and Minako’s daughters. Asides from Ohayashi Miyu, the rest of Makoto’s children were either male or were like Shinobu and too young.

"And there are no other senshi?" Diana asked. The only answer she received was silence. "Well?"

"There were." Luna answered. "But they died well before Neo-Queen Serenity was born and were never reborn on Earth. The planets they guarded are not even planets anymore. During the Silver Millennium, they were at most, ceremonial figures. They were powerless during the Silver Millennium and even if they were around, would be powerless now."

"So what can we do?" Diana asked.

Once more, a silence fell over the room. It was only broken by Neo-Queen Serenity. "I don't know."

* * *

 Usa watched as Diana slipped into a sleep that would allow her to enter Elysion. She knew it was only a trip to Elysion, but watching Diana sleep filled her with dread. It was like the time she watched her great-grandmother die.

She suppressed the shiver that went up her spine and attempted to look calm since her mother entered the room. In order to reassure herself, she touched her friend’s body in order to feel that she was still breathing. In order to not feel so silly, she stroked the fur on top of her friend’s head. Diana would not appreciate that if she were awake.

"Yes?" she asked, not turning to look at her mother.

"To pass the time until Diana returns, why don't you accompany Luna and I to the hospital?"

This perked Usa’s curiosity. "Are we going to visit Mizuki-san?" It had been a few days since the attack and just thinking Ami was still in the hospital…

"No, no, no. Ami was home with her family that night." Serenity said, putting Usa’s fears to rest. "Do you remember the girl who pushed you out of the way of that attack?"

Usa features darkened as she nodded. "I thought Hotaru healed her. What is she doing back in the hospital? "The woman was an American and Usa always assumed she would be given a medal or something and sent back to America to do American things.

"Hotaru saved her life, yes. However, it still takes time to recover from her injuries. I am just a surprised as you are to learn she is still in the hospital. I thought it would be appropriate to go and thank her in person. Perhaps see if she needs anything."

"I should probably go too, huh?" Usa asked. She stole a look at her feline friend. Diana always hated being pet like she was an actual cat. But now that she was asleep, Usa could not resist the temptation to scratch her friend behind the ear.

"You're the Crown Princess now and Sailor Moon. Visiting the person responsible for saving you, risking her own life in the process, is the most diplomatic thing.' Serenity said. To reassure her daughter, she added. "Diana is safe."

* * *

Ciara Donovan attempted to shift into a more comfortable position. Her body screamed in protest, forcing her to stop and lean back against the flat pillows of her hospital bed. She had done something dangerous that was either extremely noble or stupid-despite all the time she had to reflect on her actions, she still could not decide between the two. Ciara knew the copious amount of narcotics that were numbing her pain receptors accounted for her extreme drowsiness. The lethargy she experience was chalked up to her near death experience.

With one unsteady hand, Ciara reached over for the button to deliver more Vicodin. The drugs made her sleepy, but before she fell back asleep, she always felt more cheerful and relaxed. It was no wonder professional athletes liked it so much…

Ciara was not sure how much time passed until she drifted into a dreamless sleep. When she woke once more, the sunlight flooded the room. She could hear voices to her left.

People. Speaking in the room. Medical staff.

Groggily, Ciara turned her head away from the people talking in order to fall back asleep. Whatever they were saying was in Japanese, which she could barely understand. Yet, she caught enough of the conversation to know they were talking about her.

Turning her head, Ciara slowly opened her eyes and had to lift a hand to block out the sunlight. Someone clearly thought she could use a little sunlight and opened the blinds in her room.

"Hello, Ciara."

Blinking through the sudden blinding light, Ciara's eyes fell on a dark skinned woman with striking long green hair. While she was wearing a white lab coat, Ciara did not recognize her as one of her doctors.

Then again, she amended, it was not as if she were really paying attention to the various hospital staff that came in and out of her room. Especially when she had to focus on communicating in Japanese.

"Um…" Ciara began as she squinted at the name written on the coat. She surprised herself when she was able to recognize the kanji. "Dr. Meiou."

"What you did for Princess Serenity was very brave," the young doctor began. "I do wonder though, how is it that you were able to perform such a feat?"

Ciara felt her eyebrows knit together. She had essentially taken a bullet for the princess of Crystal Tokyo and she was being interrogated?

Besides, it was not as if she could vocalize the phenomena that occurred moments before that attack. For a brief moment, it was as if the present and future blurred together with perfect clarity.

She was a Lieutenant of the United States Army, and had been conditioned for military conflicts and was well-versed in the fight-or-flight response during such situations. Yet, there was no accounting for that transient moment where she had such an intimate knowledge of what would happen if someone were not around to help Sailor Moon.

As far as anyone, including her executive officer knew, Ciara Donovan had been at the right place at the right time. Saying anything else would ensure she got an all-expenses paid for psych eval.

Yet, the look in the woman's eyes that were as deep red as a fine wine set off alarm bells. This was a woman who triggered Ciara's innate instinct for self-preservation. At that moment, she wanted to yank out her IVs and flee the hospital.

"You risked your life to protect our princess and at that moment, you experienced only a fraction of what lies ahead for you."

A knot in Ciara's stomach tightened and once more, was the thought of getting far away. "I think you should go," she said instead.

Setsuna fixed Ciara with an unblinking stare before she slowly shook her head. "You can only run for so long," she said softly. Sadly. "Running from the ugly truth has been a recurring theme throughout your life. Yet, destiny is not something you can keep running from."

"I want you to leave," Ciara began, her voice shaky from a mixture of anger and panic.

"Now!"

Before she made her exit, Setsuna produced two long pieces of paper from the pocket of her lab coat and placed them on the table next to the hospital bed. Without turning around, she spoke once more. "Stay close to our princess, lest both your fates be destruction."

After she left, Ciara turned around in her bed and attempted to sleep in order to forget the encounter. Unable to do so, she reached for the TV remote with her hand brushing the paper that was left on the table.

Picking up one of the tickers, Ciara examined it before frowning and dropping it back on the table. She then grabbed the remote and turned the TV on in order to just have some noise to drown out her thoughts.

Unaware of how much time had passed, Ciara became aware of the sound of unfamiliar voices at the door. Turning to see who it was, Ciara quickly jolted into alertness when she saw who her visitors were. "Neo-Queen Serenity-sama. Princess Serenity-sama...Hello," she greeted in Japanese. She had to take a deep breath, trying to remain calm despite her increased heart palpitations at the sight of the queen and princess.

"Hello, Donovan-san." Neo-Queen Serenity greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Ciara quickly replied. "Thank you."

While she was far from fine, Ciara was not able to babble about her last visitor and how much she was regretting her decision to become the Crown Princess' meat shield. Those thoughts always brought the word "treason" to mind. That and she was groggy and more than a little high on the painkillers. The next drip of Vicodin had been administered during her time trying to forget about everything and that was just awesome for Ciara.

"That is wonderful to hear. When Hota-Sailorsaturn-healed you, I was still not sure you would pull through." Serenity said. "What you did was incredibly brave. You saved the princesses from harm and you should be commended for it."

Ciara barely caught what the queen said. Instead, she just smiled politely while nodding. She caught enough of the conversation to know she was receiving a compliment. Briefly, she wondered if she should tell the queen her Japanese was terrible. She quickly decided against it. This was the queen after all and she could at least pretend she spoke the language fluently.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Ciara noticed a black cat jump on top of the bed. Ciara always heard the Royal family had talking cats as advisors. She always dismissed the notion. Until now.

"Um...hello kitty." Ciara said in English as Luna, walked up the bed. The cat was careful not to step on her, but the look she gave Ciara as Luna stared at her face was making her increasingly uncomfortable. "Do you want," she tried to think of what a talking cat would want with her, "to be pet...?" Ciara finished weakly.

"This is Luna," Usa explained in English. Her accent was thick, but she spoke very clearly. "Luna, what are you doing?"

Luna continued to stare at Ciara. She soon jumped off the bed. "May I speak to you outside, Serenity-sama?" Luna asked.

Serenity furrowed her brows and gave Ciara an apologetic smile before stepping outside the room. Usa turned to go as well, but Serenity quickly shook her head. When the door closed behind the cat and queen, Ciara felt sick. Cats had a tendency to stare at humans for what seemed like hours on end. Luna, however, was more sentiment than an ordinary house cat. Whatever the kitty saw, Ciara did not like it.

* * *

"Luna, the poor girl looked terrified!" Serenity said once she shut the door. She paused, not wishing to say what she had to next-especially when the girl saved her daughter's life. "Did you sense anything about her?"

"Not exactly," Luna admitted. She took a deep breath before launching into an explanation. "Setsuna-san paid Donovan-san a visit earlier and I thought I would be able to sense something about her. Yet, there is nothing extraordinary or remarkable about her."

Serenity thought about this for a moment before speaking. "Setsuna is able to glimpse into the time current. If she bothered visiting Donovan-san, her importance may become apparent with time," she said.

"Yes," Luna agreed. "She may not be a Sailor Guardian, but I have a feeling, she may still be of use to Chibiusa-chan."

* * *

Usa turned from the door to Ciara. She hoped her irritation at being excluded from the private meeting between her mother and Luna was well hidden behind a mask of chipperness. She disliked being left out of conversations that was undoubtedly important. Yet, she did not want to be rude in front of Ciara or make her worry. Especially after everything that happened to her.

Speaking of which…

"Sorry about what happened to you." she said in Japanese.

"It could have been worse." Ciara dismissed. She attempted to make eye contact with her, but quickly averted her gaze. Usa wanted to sigh. Despite Ciara's behavior being the same as the majority of people she met over the years, she never got used to it. People always acted differently around her because she was the princess.

Even so, Usa preferred awkward conversation to awkward silence. She rocked back and forth on her heels for a moment before saying the first thing that came to mind. "Do you have any plans for the weekend?" she asked in English. As soon as she said it, Usa wanted to smack her herself. "That's right...Never mind...Sorry!"

"It's okay." Ciara said. Without really thinking, her hand felt for the concert tickets and she picked them up from the table. "I'm going to a concert, actually. This concert."

Usa just listened as Ciara talked. She never liked English, but spoke it well enough. Ciara was easy enough to understand, but her American accent had a peculiar dialect. It was not a Brooklyn or southern dialect. Her speech was almost nasally compared to the standard American accent. She also spoke rather quickly.

Usa realized must have had a strange expression on her face because Ciara looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Sorry...I um...I'm from Chicago and I've been told it's hard to understand my accent…"

"Oh no, I could understand you just fine," Usa said. Even though Ciara said the word Chicago kind of strangely. "

Ciara didn't reply. Instead, she once more looked at the ticket. "I guess it's some kind of rock concert," she said before showing the ticket to the princess. "The Dead and Dirty is the band name. Ever heard of them?"

Usa just shook her head and looked at the ticket in Ciara's hand. She had attempted to attend school when she was younger, but that proved to be disastrous. After that, she was then privately tutored until university. Even then, her attending Tokyo University was something rarely talked about. She did not join any clubs and if she felt like going to class, she went there and back. Even when she was sent to the past, most of her time was spent in the careful watch of others. That and she could not go enjoy a concert when an unknown enemy was out there.

The idea of a concert was so foreign to her. Yet, it held a certain appeal for her.

"Um..." Usa began, clearing her throat awkwardly. "This is strange, I know. I don't have many friends. In fact, I really don't think I have any friends. I had a best friend nearly ten years ago, but things...Things changed. I could use a friend and am wondering if you're feeling better by the weekend...Would you...would you want to go to that concert?"

The stare Ciara fixed Usa with made her feel like an idiot.

"Um...Sure." Ciara replied.

"Alright." Usa said, suddenly feeling even more silly for her sudden decision. To mask it, the princess' voice picked up. "I'll let you get some rest. I will see you later."

"Okay." Ciara said. Usa lingered for one final moment before exiting the room to see what her mother and Luna were talking about.

* * *

 Elemental Champion Quintessence's golden eyes studied the faces of the other Elemental Champions with her. While Fire was slouched over a chair, Water made it a point to be as poised as possible. Those two always had an interesting dynamic she thought. Both Water and Fire heartily detested not only her, but each other. Their overt display of emotions made them not only predictable, but their behavior was malleable. In contrast, Air and Metal were more reserved, which bothered her. Earth was just…pathetic, Quintessence concluded. At least she was predictable.

If it was one thing she vehemently disliked, it was not being able to read people. She knew exactly how two of the five would take what she had to say next.

"We need a new line of attack." Quintessence announced. The appearance of Sailorsaturn changed everything.

"Your changing strategies on us so early in the game, Quinty?" Fire asked. "Keep this up and we may start to question your leadership capabilities."

Quintessence only smiled in return. Any time she made announcements like this, Fire made a snide comment while Water sat with a bemused smile. She did not even need to look in Water's direction. Ayumi was a creature of habit and Quintessence knew her behavior well enough by now. "One day, you may get your chance." Quintessence said. "For now, I am sending you to Crystal Tokyo. Sightsee if you wish, but I need you for something else."

Fire's raised her eyebrows. "Tell me more.” She purred.

"You and Metal will be traveling to Crystal Tokyo to cause some mayhem." She said, making eye contact with Metal. Just so the girl will feel included. "I want you, dearest Fire, to target a private venue while Metal targets an openly public spot. Make sure it a place Sailormoon and Saturn won't visit. So avoid Tokyo University and the areas surrounding the Crystal Palace. Thinking may be hard for you, Fire, but do try."

Fire looked miffed at the public insult, but Quintessence was giving her autonomy, so Fire did not care too much. The likelihood of Saturn and Moon being at both locations was very low. Especially with their last line of attack.

"Air,” you will be accompanying me." Another dream targeting the queen would attract the attention of Elysion and with the princess' dreams being protected by Helios, a second dream invasion is not feasible. If executed correctly, the hand of the Royal Family will be forced, allowing them to go after our true objective.

* * *

 Diana's eyes fluttered opened. Stretching, she noticed her paws had become hands. Staring incredulously, she realized she no longer possessed a feline form. She was human. Only in Elysion, she supposed. Shakily getting to her feet, Diana took in the surroundings; golden skylines, endless fields with flowers of every hue, and a crystaline forest.

Yes, she thought, only in Elysion.

Elysion would be perfect if she could only manage to get to her feet. On her third attempt to stand, a pale white hand was held out in front of her. Gratefully, she took the High Priest of Elysion's hand. "Thank you, Helios-sama" she said. "I was wondering when you would be around."

Helios gave her a smile that never reached his eyes. "I always know when someone or enters this sacred place, whether through the physical or dreamworld."

"Then you would the answer to what I came here for." Diana said. When Helios regarded her with a quizzical stare, she told him her reason for being in Elysion.

Throughout the story, Helio's expression changed from aloof but welcoming to completely blank and unreadable. "Come." he said once she finished. "There are things you must know. A priest of Elysion has never left his post. However, as the Guardian of Time made an unprecedented move by leaving her own post, I feel the need is great enough that I may leave mine."

"Need?" Diana, questioned. She took several clumsy steps to follow after Helios. He attempted to appear to be patient, but Diana could detect a hint of impatience at her inability to walk in his somber golden eyes. Also, if Diana detected a hint of bitterness in the priest's voice when mentioning Sailor Pluto.

Walking eventually became easier. When she felt comfortable with her bipedal locomotion, Helios began to speak to her. "Elysion has many functions and fortunately, I am not the only inhabitant."

That surprised Diana. She had never thought about Elysion too much. Up until Usa’s party, Diana had always assumed Helios was the solitary guardian of the dreamworld and the Golden Crystal. "What does everyone else do?" she asked.

"They are maenads and unfortunately, the activities of Elysion is like a mystery religion. Even the Royal Family is not privy to the information." Helios said.

When the pair came to a shrine, Diana observed a lone woman tending to it. All she could see was long pin straight pale blonde. "This is Ariadne." Helios said. "She is one of the maneads of Elysion and will be accompanying me to Crystal Tokyo. At the moment, Diana, you are here in a dream. Ariadne and I will be leaving Elysion in the flesh, as opposed to a mere projection."

When Ariadne heard her name, she looked up. Her facial expression was as stony and unreadable as the priests. Diana had no idea where scissors were in Elysion, but Ariadne had layered bangs that framed a remarkably pretty face. Her icy blue eyes studied Diana and they were as unreadable as her face. Diana immediately decided she did not like her. Too cold and almost robotic.

"Master," Ariadne said. "Who is this? She looks human…but isn't. Is she an anomaly or abomination?"

Diana knew she was not human, but hearing it made her face flush. There was a fine line between embarrassment and anger and Diana was not sure where she was at. "I'm Diana, advisor to Neo-Queen Serenity-sama and King Endymion-sama of Crystal Tokyo and a loyal friend to Small Lady Princess Serenity-sama." she said.

Speaking of Usa-hime, Diana had no idea how her friend would react to Helios showing up on Earth accompanied by a pretty woman who called him master. Knowing her friend and her penchant for melodrama, Diana knew their arrivial would not go over well. 

"Maiden…" Helios murmured to himself. "Although my business on Earth has a purpose, I will admit that I am looking forward to seeing my maiden again."

* * *

 Author's note:  I know, I knooow. Okay, sure. I introduced an original character _last_ chapter, but this one isn’t out to ruin the senshi’s day, so I figured I should say something now. Before you roll your eyes and give up on my story, give the original characters a chance? Perfection and Mary Sues are lithesome and boring. Brooding basket cases are _much_ more interesting. And fun to write for.

If you noticed, the original senshi got married and now have new last names. To make things easier to follow, I wanted to let you know who is who. (And have some fun since their names have meaning, yo!) I also wanted to briefly introduce the kiddies. That way if they are talked about again or get a lil’ screen time, it won’t be super confusing. ^^;

Mizuno Ami --> Mizuki Ami = Beautiful + Moon/Friendship – Beautiful Moon’s Friendship  
She has one daughter:

  * Shinobu (Name Meaning: Sneaky Beautiful Moon)



Hino Rei --> Homura Rei = Blazing + Fire/Spirit – Spirit [of/within the] Blazing Fire.  
She has to children, twins: 

  * Takashi (Name Meaning: Noble Blazing Fire) 
  * Miyabi (Name Meaning: Grace and Refinement of the [of the] Blazing Fire) 



Kino Makoto -->  Ohayash Makoto = Small + Forest/Sincerity = Faithful Small Forest

She has five children:

  * Miyu (Name Meaning: Beautiful Evening [in the] Small Forest) 
  * Tatsuya (Name Meaning: To Be [the] Dragon [of the] Small Forest) 
  * Karou (Name Meaning: Fragrant Small Forest) 
  * Chiaki (Name Meaning: Small Forest’s Thousandth Autumn) 
  * Usako (Name Meaning: Rabbit Child [in the] Small Forest)



Aino Minako --> Minako Blair = Beautiful + Child/Battlefield – Beautiful Child [upon the] Battlefield  
She has one daughter:

  * Danica (Name Meaning: Morning Star [upon the] Battlefield   Fun Fact: Venus us also known as the Morning Star. ~.^



Kind of silly to go into so much detail for names, but I like to consider myself thorough, darn it!  I also maaaay have put off several readings and working on case conceptualizations, so I figured I’d share just so I can try to justify being lazy on my homework. =p~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains major character death.

Work had always left Hotaru emotionally and physically drained. Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama constantly pleaded with her to at least consider dropping down to a part-time status instead of working full-time with the occasional over-time. That was not an option Hotaru wanted to consider…at least not until she was married...and possibly had children of her own.

While in college, Hotaru realized she did not have the energy to study the field of medicine and immediately switched her major to nursing. Upon graduation, she began working as a pediatric nurse at Azabu Public Hospital.

Hotaru enjoyed her job, but there were times that working with children reminded her that so many of her friends had families of their own.

Just like every night, Hotaru cut through Juuban Park in order to get to the train station. She paused momentarily to adjust the bag from her aching shoulders when she heard her cell phone vibrate. Moving to the nearest bench, Hotaru set the bag down in order to rummage through it and retrieve her phone.

Pulling it out, she unlocked the touchscreen and furrowed her brows slightly. The message was from Onizuka Yuki, the man she had been dating for the past six months.  _Call me_ , was all the text message said.

Hotaru was immediately filled with a sense of anxiety. Yuki was never the type for fluff and romance. It was novelty Hotaru appreciated, but the message was so vague. It made her mind draw conclusions. "Not again," she prayed while hitting the Call button on her phone. Maintaining stable relationships were always difficult for Tomoe Hotaru and she only hoped Yuki did not suddenly want to end theirs.

"Hotaru!" a masculine voice breathed happily on the phone. "Did you just get off of work? Where are you?"

"Still in Juuban," Hotaru replied. "I was just heading to the station. Why? Is everything alright?"

"It's fine." Yuki replied. "There’s some weird stuff going on around town and just wanted to make sure you were okay. Kind of lame, but I’ll take being lame after what happened at Princess Serenity’s Coming of Age celebration.”

Hotaru had never mentioned she had been friends with Princess Serenity to Yuki. That would lead to too many uncomfortable questions about time travel and possible discussions on being the harbinger of destruction. Those were things she would rather not tell Yuki. Not yet anyway.

"What’s exactly is going on?”

"Some more talk about terrorist attacks in the Akasaka area. At least that’s how the media is trying to spin it. There’s not too much right now since the news wants their primetime ratings to spike. They are even talking about a possible Sailormoon sighting, but I seriously doubt Princess Serenity would be there.”

The long silence on the phone made Yuki anxious as well. "I know your guardians were close to the Royal Family. Are you okay? Sibuya is only a few stops away. We can get a tea...or coffee. Sake?"

When Hotaru didn't reply, Yuki continued. "Maybe a milkshake?"

"I hate milkshakes." Hotaru said sullenly. She felt her nose wrinkling at the thought.

"You hate milk. I know. I just wanted to keep you on your toes."

Hotaru just wanted to go home and rest her tired feet. Then maybe turn on the news to see if there was any information on these supposed attacks. However, Yuki was worried enough to call…

"I can be in Sibuya in about twenty minutes. Where do you want to meet?"

"I'll look something up and text you the location." Yuki replied. There was another brief pause. "Hotaru?"

"Hrm?"

“Sorry for being lame.”

 Instead of texting the address, Yuki decided to meet Hotaru at the station. She did not have to wait long before she noticed him. Yuki was slightly taller than the average Japanese man and had dark violet hair that desperately needed to be cut. Hotaru's favorite features were his vibrant green eyes.

One of her co-workers remarked Yuki was, "dripping with sex appeal..in a nerdy kind of way." Initially, Hotaru felt herself growing flustered whenever she thought of that, but she was inclined to agree.

Hotaru barely made it to her boyfriend before she felt a temblor beneath her feet. It was not an earthquake, it felt different. Before Hotaru could comment on it, the she heard a screech from the train behind her. Then the world went black.

 “There’s already smoke...” Sailor Neptune said. She had to pause to wait for her partner to catch up. There had been a time when Haruka had moved like the wind. Even when driving, she maneuvered around cars with such ease and precision.

That was, until the accident. Miciru never liked remembering it, but images of the accident and seeing Haruka in the hospital haunted her. She had been the one to sign the documents and to make the decisions.  Haruka had sustained severe head trauma and in order reduce brain swelling, she was placed in a medical-induced coma while her body was kept in a state of hypothermia.

Hotaru-chan had been in high school at the time and by the time a flight had been booked and Hotaru arrived, Haruka’s condition was already stabilizing. Even with Hotaru’s help, she never made a full recovery.

And now, Neptune was the one who was as fast as the wind. At least, compared to Uranus. If the smoke was not an indication on how close they were, the anguished cries of the injured tipped Neptune off.

“It could just be a terrorist attack.” Uranus said dismissively as the pair climbed the stairs to the platform. As soon as they reached the top, they took in the sight.  “No.” Uranus said, correcting herself. “It is not a terrorist attack.”

 _How can we save them?_ Neptune thought mournfully. She did not even know where to begin.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Uranus’ shout. “Watch out!”

Immediately, Neptune’s eyes focused on movement. Half the train was suspended in to the air. Summoning the Deep Aqua Mirror, she was ready for it. “Deepest Reflection!”

A torrent of water shot from the Deep Aqua Mirror, blocking the train’s progression. It fell back to the ground and Neptune avoided dwelling on the fact there were still injured passengers in that train. Were. They were all probably dead now.

"Coward!" Sailor Uranus cried out. "Come out and fight!"

"Two old hags think they can challenge me?” a voice questioned. Sailor Neptune’s eyes darted in all directions while Sailor Uranus summoned the Space Sword.

"You won't find me." the Elemental Champion assured. "My dominion is over metals. Look at the scattered metal you see around you. This has allowed me to manipulate and control sound. You won't find me unless I make myself known. Even though there it is two against one, I’ll show you I am no coward.”

Sailor Uranus tiled her head in a direction and Neptune followed her. Careful not to look inside the train car, the duo moved around it. That is when Neptune saw the Elemental Champion. The woman had short grey spikey hair, black eyes, and a uniform to match those colors. "Tch, fool." was all she said before several railroad spikes were hurled in their direction.

 “Space Sword Blaster!” Uranus cried, sending dozens of light arcs of energy to cut through the spikes.  

 "That was a cheap trick." Neptune admonished once Uranus lowered her talisman.

"I never said I would play fair." Elemental Champion Metal replied with a flip of her hair. She looked down at a nail momentarily before looking back up at the senshi. "By the way, look where you're stepping."

Neptune looked down to see the piece of train below her boot. Before she could move, the metal morphed turning into spikes that cut into her foot. Letting out an anguished cry, she hoped to her immediate left.

"It's interesting." Metal said calmly. "I always thought you two were supposed to be oh-so powerful. You’re hardly formidable advisories. Have you two gone soft in your advanced age? Weaker, perhaps?”

“World Shaking!” Uranus cried, sending her attack flying.

Before the attack even had a chance to hit, the Elemental Champion teleported away. Neptune had a feeling where she was going to reappear and prepared herself.

“Behind you.” Came Metal’s voice.

“Deep Submerge!”

 Hotaru was not sure how long she was unconscious, but when she came to, she surveyed her surroundings. The entire area was filled with smoke, reducing her visibility. Yet, Hotaru could make out the trains that were torn apart and thrown around the station like they were mere toys instead of thousand pounds of metal. The railroad tracks jutted out of their usual position. All around her, she could see that people were impaled by railroad spikes. The entire scene reminded Hotaru of the images from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hotaru registered two facts at the same time: the searing pain in her body, specially her ears. She tenderly touched her right ear and flinched. When she pulled her hand back, she noticed it covered in blood. Which also explained the second fact: the surrounding area was silent.

Hotaru looked to her immediate left and saw that Yuki was sprawled out on the ground, a piece of a train sticking into his back.

If she gasped or screamed, Hotaru did not know. Without thinking about the enemy, she crawled over to Yuki’s body and took his hand. It was still warm, a good sign. Next, she checked his radial pulse. It felt fairly weak, but he was alive.

He was also going to remain that way. As carefully as possible, Hotaru examined the wound. She knew she should not remove any foreign objects impaled in a patient's body without a surgeon's direction. But she normally did not use her powers to her heal patient's wounds.

"It will be okay," she said as gently as possible. Or at least she hoped she did since Hotaru could only feel the vibrations in her throat when she spoke. Her hand hovered over the railroad spike and she hesitated.

This was going to hurt.

Hotaru pulled the spike out of Yuki’s back as quickly as possible. Blood poured out of him and his body shuddered in protest. She hoped he wasn’t awake…

Finally, she moved into a position that was more comfortable before her. She laid her hands on Yuki’s back and concentrated. The healing energy warmed her hands but left the rest of her body cold.

When Hotaru was finished, black specks danced across her vision. Easing herself against Yuki’s now healed form, Hotaru wrapped her hands around her henshn wand. She would just rest a moment before transforming…

 “Submarine Reflection!"

The smell of salt filled the air, but the smell of iron was overwhelming. Whether or not it was from the iron or blood, Uranus was not certain. Michiru’s attack hit, but was concentrated. Elemental Champion Metal shrugged it off with relative ease.

_No…_

Michiru had been the strong one for so long. Uranus’ own heart sank with the realization that her lover was growing weaker and the battle was wearing them down. Not only that, but her and Neptune were no longer spry teenager who were able to leap down from trees with such ease and grace. Now each movement was met with muscles that have aged and not seen combat for hundreds of years. Each blow hurt worse than before and in spite of the superhuman recovery her transformation allowed her, she still felt the injuries sustained in the accident.

 _Just one more enemy,_ Uranus prayed.  _Kami-sama...if you’re even out there. Help us defeat one more enemy and it will be done. We will know we fulfilled our duty…_

Uranus drew the Space Sword and while drawing golden arcs in the air, she shouted, “Space Sword Blaster!”

“That was dumb…” Metal said as she summoned part of the train to serve as a shield. The golden arcs of energy tore into the train and were met with wails from the survivors inside.

Uranus clenched her jaws together and did her best to block out the sound.  _I’ll kill her for that,_  Uranus swore.

Black eyes met with Uranus’ blue. “You cannot blame me for defending myself.” Metal said levelly, shrugging. “At least your partner is starting to recognize how hopeless your situation is.”

Uranus tore her eyes from the Elemental Champion to see Neptune gazing into the Deep Aqua Mirror. “I’ll give you two a moment.” Metal finished. “Just one moment though.”

“Haruka…” Neptune said, suddenly looking up from the mirror. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. “Today is the end of our present lives and the beginning of our next ones. If we take this enemy, it will come at a cost.”

There was no need to ask Neptune to elaborate. After so long together, Uranus knew exactly what was meant. She drew close enough to wrap her arm around Neptune’s waist. “As long as you’re with me.” she said quietly.

“Then we attack together.” Neptune declared, taking Uranus’ hands into her own. “I’ll look for you in the next life.”

In an unprecedented move, Uranus kissed her lover in front of someone else. “And I’ll look for you, Michiru” she promised. “You made my life worth living.”

“Deep…” Neptune began.

“World…”

“...Submerge!”

“...Shaking!”

The two attacks merged, creating a hue of blue and golden energy that rushed towards Elemental Champion Metal who had been watching the two Sailor Senshi intently. As soon as she saw them begin to form their attacks, she teleported on top of one of the trains. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the destruction the combined attack caused and looked back unconcerned.

Instead, Metal continued focusing on Sailor Uranus. A lock of grey hair fell in her eyes and she quickly brushed it away. “The power to manipulate metal transcends the ability to throw objects around.” she said. “I have always had a theory on what I can accomplish with my abilities. Sailor Uranus: you’re not feeling lightheaded, are you?”

Uranus glared up at the woman. Not only was Uranus not sure how she survived the attack, but Metal was right. She was feeling lightheaded and knew that she was not able to attack again.

“I’ll take that as a yes. You see, while you two lovebirds were saying goodbye, I was focusing on the iron concentration in your bloodstream. All the iron should be reaching your heart right about...now.”

Elemental Champion Metal watched with a self-satisfied smirk when Neptune clutched the left side of her chest from the arrhythmia. Uranus, however, was a bit more curious. She frowned and concentrated a bit more. Suddenly, the iron, along with blood, was extracted from Uranus’ body.

With no one around to bother her, Metal carefully separated the iron from the blood cells. Once that task was complete, she morphed it together in a ball and summoned it to her.

How very fascinating...

Metal was confident she caused a significant amount of damage even Quintessence would be surprised about. She mindlessly used her powers to throw the iron sphere in the air before catching it while she debated on what to do with the bodies of the two fallen Sailor Senshi. Leaving them there was easy. However, their bodies would be proof that she was able to take down two of the most formidable Sailor Senshi before they could pass their powers on to anyone else.

She would gain an exalted position for that. Perhaps even surpassing Quintessence in favor…

Her thoughts were interrupted by an anguished scream. By now, Metal could hear the familiar call of emergency vehicles, but the cries of the injured were quieted when they died. This scream was different. Black eyes turned towards the source and widened at who she saw kneeling next to the bodies of the fallen Senshi: Sailor Saturn.

This could be a problem.

Before Saturn could harm her, Metal sent dozens of railroad spikes flying in the direction of Saturn and her fallen comrades.

But the spikes never hit. Like a violet shadow, Saturn swopped in, twirling the Silence Glaive and reflecting the spikes with her weapon's blade.

“You’ll pay for what you did to them.” The Sailor Senshi hissed once she deflected the last spike.

Logic dictated that Metal needed to teleport as far away from Sailor Saturn as she could get. Yet, the thrill of neutralizing the last real threat to her mistress’ ambitions, save for the princess, was a prospect the Elemental Champion could not pass up.

What was Saturn really going to do? Her Silent Wall could not affect her and she was too far away for the Silence Glaive to attack her. So long as Metal kept her distance, she would be able to win. She would just need to wear Saturn down first.

With the iron sphere still in hand, Metal separated them once more. Except she turned each one into spikes and sent them flying at the Sailor Senshi. “Silent Wall!” Saturn cried, forming a barrier between her and the attack.

Metal attempted lifting up one of the train cars only to let it drop once more. The battle was Uranus and Neptune took a bit out of her. If she kept fling heavy objects around like toys, there was no way she would outlast Saturn in this battle.

However, delivering the killing blow to Uranus and Neptune did not take that much effort. Now that she knew how to do it, killing Saturn would require less time. Still, she needed Saturn to be sufficiently distracted.

“"Everyone was so afraid of you. I, however, don't see anything particularly remarkable about you."

It was a dangerous bet, but Metal was willing to take it. She expected Saturn to lash out. Instead, she lowered her head. “Whispering Cataclysm.” Saturn intoned, slamming the bottom of the Silence Glaive on the ground.

The  _thud_ made by the Glaive was the last thing Elemental Champion Metal heard. Turning to leave, she attempted to teleport away, but the destructive energy of Sailotsaturn’s attack was something she could not escape from. The Elemental Champion silently and unceremoniously feel to the ground, never to wake again.

 Sailor Saturn did not even give the woman who had killed Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa a second stare. Letting her transformation fade away, she moved Michiru-mama into a more dignified position.

Her hands were warm. Quickly, Hotaru felt her neck for her carotid artery before learning placing a hand on her adopted mother’s forehead and chin. Gently, Hotaru lifted her chin and opened her airway before leaning down to listen for any further signs of life.

Michiru’s breath was faint, but she was still alive! Quickly, Hotaru made her way towards Haruka-papa, but the moment Hotaru felt her other mother’s skin, she felt the telltale sign of death: algor mortis was already cooling Haruka’s body.

She had already known this, but feeling how different her Haruka-papa’s face and hands felt was not something Hotaru would ever be prepared for.

"Hotaru..."

Hearing her name, Hotaru turned around and saw Yuki in a prone position, obviously weak, but watching her. Ever since she transformed, her hearing had been restored, but she didn’t even have time to appreciate that fact because of what she saw when she approached the battlefield.

Finally, the dam keeping her tears at bay finally broke. She felt warm arms wrap around her small frame in an embrace. Hotaru did not care how undignified she looked nor did she notice the arrival of emergency workers. She wept into Yuki’s chest.

“I couldn’t save Haruka-papa.” Hotaru croaked between sobs. To comfort her, Yuki began to stroke her hair, but it only made Hotaru cry harder. “I couldn’t save anyone.”

“But we can still save your Michiru-mama.” Yuki reminded Hotaru. “Just wait here and I’ll be right back. I’m going to get a paramedic.”

Instantly, Hotaru missed the comfortable embrace the moment her boyfriend stood to try to get help. Long ago, she made a promise to Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama in case they ever fell in battle: hide their identities as Sailor Senshi. If paramedics were coming, she needed to be strong for both of her adopted parents.

Locating Michiru-mama’s transformation wand was easy. Hotaru hid both the wand and Deep Aqua Mirror in her bag. However, when she went to check the pocket Haruka-mama kept her transformation wand, which, along with the Space Sword, was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow! I have nearly 500 hits? O.O I'm stunned. Thank you all so much! 
> 
> Since I’m going to be focusing a lot on the senshi families this chapter, I wanted to remind everyone who was who. 
> 
> Mizuno Ami - Married Mizuki Masaru and has one daughter, Mizuki Shinobu  
> Hino Rei - Married Homura Kazuo and has twins, a son and daughter named Homura Takashi and Miyabi, respectively.  
> Kino Makoto - Married Ohayashi Masato and has five children, Ohayashi Miyu, Tatsuya, Kaoru, Chiaki, and Usako.  
> Aino Minako - Married Logan Blair and has one daughter, Danica Blair
> 
> Whoever if the first to catch my 'A Song of Ice and Fire' or Game of Thrones reference wins! You can either have my giddy appreciation or a cameo in the next chapter. Like a literal cameo. Just private message me your name/nickname and appearance or your OC's name and appearance and they'll be featured in the next chapter.

Hayashi Makoto struggled to hold the bag of groceries in her arm. So she contorted her body to a strange angle in order to balance the bag and reach the doorknob. Moving her right shoulder back a bit, she was successfully able to put the key in the keyhole and turn the knob to open the door enough to kick it open the rest of the way.

She should have had one of the girls run ahead to open the door instead of making them pack mules. Hindsight twenty-twenty and all that, Makoto thought while mentally shaking her head at herself.

“Just put the bags in the kitchen and you three are free from errand duty for the day.” Makoto told the children behind her.

“Really?” Chiaki’s voice came from behind her. “Thank you, Mama!”

“Thanks, Mama!” Usako, her youngest’s voice joined.

“This is why I like your house so much, Usa-chan.” Mizuki Shinobu said to her best friend as the girls set about putting the bags in the kitchen. “My mama and papa don’t like it when I am too loud.”

While she talked, the girl’s steel blue pigtails whipped around her face as she spoke animatedly; her light blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Makoto’s heart sank a little when she heard that. Shinobu may have been a carbon copy of her mother when she was a child, but was the polar opposite of the more quiet and serious Ami. Since Ami and her husband were both doctors and had so little free time, Makoto and her own husband often were around for Shinobu after school. Makoto was not going to let her friend’s daughter come home to an empty house every night. Makoto knew all too well how lonely that was and no child should have to suffer that. With how well business in the cafe has grown in the last several years, both her and Masaru could hire competent managers so the couple did not have to micromanage the business as they had to in the early days.

The arrangement worked out because Usako took a shine to Shinobu. At the moment, her youngest daughter was rummaging through the refrigerator before her bright blue eyes turned to her mother. A strand of blonde bang fell into her hair and Usako quickly pushed it away. “Can Shinobu-chan and I have a juice before dinner? We won’t spoil our appetites, I promise!”

Makoto bent down to her younger daughter’s level. “You promised this time, so I think you’re serious. I’m going to hold you to it, kiddo.”

“Thank you!” Usako said as she flashed her mother an earsplitting grin. With two brightly colored juice bottles in each hand, she quickly rushed out of the room. “But no running!” she shouted after her daughter.

Usako and Shinobu were a dynamic duo and always were getting into some unintended mischief. They reminded her of what Usagi and Minako might have been like if they had friends as children….

Thinking back to the Sailor Guardians was always difficult. Her and Ami remained in touch through their children. Usagi was around, but as Neo-Queen, seeing her was rare and could not have privacy.. Chibiusa was also never in the same schools as her children. Minako was away. The Homura twins were the same age as her oldest Miyu, but Miyu. Chibusa, and the Homura twins were all part of a different social circle and never got to be friends. Then there was Hotaru, Michiru, and Haruka.

_Haruka…_

Makoto did not want to think about it. She had received the call about her death shortly before the children got off of school. Today was Masato’s day with the children, but after hearing the news, she needed a reprieve. Especially since Haruka’s death meant there may be a new Sailor Uranus out there somewhere. Despite the accident, Haruka was always a fighter and if she could be taken down so easily, then the other Sailor Soldiers would be as well.

Which meant passing down their powers was vital. She would need to choose an heir to her powers. But which one of her children? Miyu was the oldest and a girl, but Makoto was afraid she would not be able to handle the responsibility. That left Usako and Chiaki, but they were far too young. If she were to consider her sons, her second son Kaoru was the obvious choice. He excelled in almost everything and would undoubtedly be a fantastic sailor soldier. Yet, there was an arrogance that Makoto did not want to see in the Sailor Team. Tatsuya, her first son was also immature. But perhaps the power would force him to be more mature?

No, Makoto thought. She did not want to force any of her children into a situation where they had to grow up faster than they needed to. Yet she knew that eventually, she would have to. She had five children, but who would she choose? Makoto had a feeling that the next Soldier of Jupiter would come from her bloodline, but she was not ready to burden any of her children.

A loud crash pulled Makoto from her thoughts. Within seconds, Natsu, the family dog skidded into the kitchen. The Shiba Inu barely glanced at Makoto before he ducked under an open drawer to escape the sound. Yuurei, the albino Shiba Inu merely glanced at his sibling from the doorframe before quietly going back into the living room. Makoto had not wanted any more pets following the death of their last dog, Lady. Despite that, within a few weeks, Yuurei and Natsu came into the Ohayashi household.

Hurriedly, Chiaki ran into the room, her earthy brown eyes scanning the room until she spotted Natsu. “Sorry boy.” she said as she got on the floor next to the dog and stroked his fur.

“And what happened for you to apologize to Natsu-chan?” Makoto inquired.

“We were all playing with Natsu and knocked down the plant.” Chiaki said slowly while looking at her mother to gauge her reaction.

Makoto sighed. “Did you pick it up?”

“Yes.”

“And is there dirt on the floor?”

Chiaki buried her head in the dog’s fur so all Makoto could see was a curtain of black hair instead of her daughter’s guilty expression. “Yes.” she said, the dog’s body muffling her words.

“Go back in the living room and help clean up.  _Vacuum_ the dirt up,  _do not_  try to use water. That is only going to turn it into mud and make things worse. Then get your brothers and Miyu-chan to help with dinner.”

“Yes, Mama.” Chiaki said. She gave Natsu a quick hug before following her mother’s instructions.

Within a few minutes, Makoto began to take the vegetables out of the bag to prep for dinner while she listened to the sound of the vacuum. Miyu was the first of her children to enter the kitchen, yawning. Her green eyes looked tired and as her daughter yawned groggily once more, Makoto had to suppress a yawn of her own.

“Just woke up?” Makoto asked, watching her daughter tie her messy black hair in a quick ponytail.

”Um...Maybe?” Miyu responded while picking up a knife and beginning to chop up a tomato.

"‘Sup, Parasite Single?” Kaoru greeted as he came into the kitchen. “Did you make it into Todai yet?”

Miyu lowered the knife mid stroke and turned her attention to her brother. “You’re seriously starting shit while I have a knife in my hand?” she asked levelly. Shaking her head, she resumed chopping the tomato “And I’m supposed to be the dumb one…”

“That was uncalled for, Kaoru.” Makoto admonished. This was not the first time Makoto mentally berated herself for not putting an end to the sibling rivalry that existed among the older children years ago.

“Sorry, Mother.” Kaoru apologized. “You know I only intend it to be tough love.”

Makoto was spared any further intervention by the arrival of Tatsuya, her oldest son. “It sounds like fun in here.” He commented before looking at the contents of the bags. “What are we making?”

“I wanted it to be simple tonight, so just a pasta with some salads.” Makoto commented. “You get the honors of making the noodles.”

While she watched as her children got to work, Makoto knew that one of them had to be the next soldier of Jupiter. She just could not bear to decide.

 Homura Miyabi was definitely a child of the former beauty queen, Hino Rei. The girl had an elegant beauty to her pale, delicate features that were currently obscured by a curtain of her dark hair as she leaned over the menu. In the sunlight, her usual color, such a dark red it was almost black looked almost auburn.

Of course, Homura Takashi would never talk about his mother or sister like that. That was just plain weird. Upon arriving to the cafe he and his sister has agreed on, Takashi spotted his twin in the outside seating area and took his seat. Tall and fit with crimson hair tied back and with longer bangs he pushed aside to keep from hanging in his violet eyes, Homura Takashi was also considered very attractive. He barely noticed the glances a few women gave him as he passed by their tables.

“What’s up, loser?” Takashi greeted. His sister glanced up from the menu, her violet eyes looking more sullen than he remembered them being. “Boy problems? Whose ass do I need to kick?”

“I keep thinking back to the party.” Miyabi said. “All those people who died…it could have been prevented.”

“So you’ve said.” Takashi replied. He caught a familiar scent coming from his sister's direction. “Is that why you started smoking?”

Miyabi’s eyes widened in confusion. Takashi took a sip of his water while meeting his twin’s eyes. Once he swallowed and set the water back on the table, he leaned forward. “You smell like Febreeze and tobacco.”

To confirm, Miyabi lifted the collar of her shirt and sniffed. “I don’t smell it…”

“Of course not. Smoker’s don’t ever know how nasty they really smell.”

Miyabi sighed and took a drink of her own water. “I don’t smoke.” She said. When she saw her brother’s skeptical stare, she continued. “I can’t exactly light random bonfires around campus. So if I ever want to do any divination, I have to stare into something that is already burning. Like incense, or a cigarette. And cigarettes are a little more socially acceptable when on the go.”

With their mother being a Shinto priestess, the twins knew about the divination practices. Fortune telling and fire readings were part of the Homura twin’s upbringing. As teenagers, they often joined their friends in making fun of superstition, but secretly, both knew that the powers their mother possessed were very real. They were also the same powers that Miyabi had inherited. At a young age, Rei explained the powers to both of her children. As time went on, Miyabi slowly began to learn of her mother’s past as a Sailor Senshi and was quick to share that knowledge with her brother.

“Have you been able to figure anything out?” Takashi asked. Unlike the women of the family, Takashi was not psychic. When he was younger, he tried everything from fire readings to tarot cards and bone casting. Eventually, he just accepted the fact that the powers of Mars passed him over.

“All I know is that there were four potential Sailor Guardians at the party, including me.” Miyabi said.

“The Ohayashi tribe was there, so once more, including me that is two. The future Jupiter definitely comes from that family, but I don’t know much else. When I tried to divine anything about the other two, all I could sense was water. Water and a darkness. Except there was a stillness about it.” Miyabi furrowed her brows, frustrated from her inability to describe what she saw. She finally shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Takashi took in what his sister was saying while thinking about the individuals they narrowed down to be the former Sailor Senshi. “Unless fate decided to be an absolute jackass and make children be soldiers, I don’t think the future Mercury was there. Maybe Neptune?”

“Maybe.” Miyabi considered.

The sudden appearance of their waiter caused the Homura twins to change the topic to a more normal one. While talking, Miyabi pulled out a cigarette and began to idly tear up the bottom, careful not to touch any parts that were filled with tobacco. Eventually, she dropped it on the ground and began to tear it up with her shoe.

“A Sailor Guardian just died.” Miyabi said suddenly, her eyes still diverted to the ground while her shoe continued to tear up the cigarette. Suddenly she looked up and locked violet eyes with her brother. “And more will die if the next generation isn’t awakened. Even then, who knows? It will be up to them to keep themselves alive.”

“And what about you?” Takashi challenged. It was obvious that Miyabi would be the next Sailormars. Takashi was sure that their mother would rather see the Line of Mars die than have the powers wielded by a man.

“I don’t know. Maybe we should talk to the Princess to try to convince her to tell the former senshi to awaken the next generation?”

Takashi nodded. That was a decent plan. “And you should talk to Mom about the visions you have been having.”

“Only if you come with me.” Miyabi said stubbornly.

“Not a chance.”

“Oh come on!” Miyabi sighed, throwing her hands dramatically in the air for extra effect. “You’re her son! She loves you and would want to see you.”

“Every time she sees me, Mom makes some snarky comment about me and the military. I don’t want to run Hikawa. It’s not my fault she sucks at business.”

Growing up, Takashi told his mother that one day, he would be just like his great-grandfather and run the shrine. Rei began to mentor Takashi, hoping the child would be true to his young word. Unfortunately, children are horrible liars. Upon graduating high school, Takashi enrolled in the National Defense Academy in Kanagawa to begin his training on becoming an officer in the National Defense Force. His father was satisfied at the decision, but Takashi was convinced his mother never forgave him for reneging his childhood promises.

“It’s up to you.” Miyabi said, sighing once more. This time, the sigh was a defeated one.

Hearing a crash above the roar of the vacuum, Rei quickly turned around and saw that a collage of the children had been knocked down. Turning the machine off, Rei was greeted by blissful silence and picked up the frame. Luckily, the glass was intact. With a faint smile, her fingers traced over a picture of the twins, arms-in-arm, on their first day of high school. Of course, Takashi had put bunny ears on his sister, who was grinning and holding a peace sign with her opposite hand. Miyabi had been upset when she saw Rei put that picture up, but it was too funny not to. She placed the picture frame back on the nail when she began to feel slightly lightheaded.

_Rei found herself in a world of fire and in the middle of it all, both her children clad in the Martian fashion during the Silver Millennium. They did not notice their mother’s presence for they sat with their legs crossed, serenely in prayer. Suddenly, a spur of flame danced between both Miyabi and Takashi. Then finally between Miyabi and Rei. When the flames danced between Rei and Takashi, they grew in not only brightness, but intensity._

_Suddenly, Takashi’s eyes flew open and he grew with a red aura, the symbol of Mars burning on his forehead. The gentle fire surrounding Rei flew up and consumed Takashi, who now appeared in a uniform that could only be a male sailor fuku. The fires then engulfed him entirely._

When Rei came to, she was a kneeling position on the floor, looking up at the picture frame. Carefully standing up, Rei moved towards the door and stepped outside into the warm July day. She took several steps away from the house before learning against a tree.

In the past, crows had made their home at the Hikawa, but in recent years, cats had begun to appear and take up residence, driving the crows away. Most notably were two cats who appeared at their front doorstep when they were kittens. Miyabi had adopted them and gave them the names Enyo and Eris. Remembering the crows Phobos and Demios all too well, Rei inquired about the name choice and Miyabi just shrugged and said the names “sounded cool.”

That is when Rei knew Miyabi would be the next Guardian of Mars. At the moment, Enyo was futilely attempting to catch a squirrel that clambered up a tree while the more passive Eris napped in the late afternoon sunlight.

But her vision showed Takashi as the next Guardian of Mars, not Miyabi. Rei could accept she had been wrong if she had not witnessed her son consumed by the flames after he transformed. Did it mean that he would die if he were chosen as the next senshi of Mars? The thought of Miyabi becoming the next Sailormars now seemed so wrong to Rei, but there was no one else. Her cousin had children of his own, but Rei did not think they were meant to be Sailor Senshi. Then there was the possibility of her father having a love-child, but that did not seem likely either. That meant she would need to choose one of her children to become her heir and that choice was no longer as easy as it once seemed.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had like, 90% of this written for quite some time. However, I started chemotherapy last week and that just pwned the ever-living hell out of me. Please forgive me if the last bit seems a bit rushed.

 As soon as Usagi arrived at the concert venue, her nose wrinkled ever so slightly. She instantly felt out of place. While she dressed in a nice shirt that showed just a little cleavage and a comfortable albeit old pair of jeans, everyone else was dressed, quite...differently. Pretending not to notice how out of place she looked, she strode with a practiced confidence to the ticket booth and paid for her own ticket. No one seemed to take notice of her outfit at least.

Usa initially wanted to ask Hotaru if she would be able to make it to the concert. Usa figured it could be a senshi bonding time. Or Senshi-Senshi-and-a-reincarnated-Silver Millennium-general bonding time. At least the way her mother described the former Captain-General made it sound like Donovan-san had been a hardened war mongrel. After what happened to Haruka, Usa abandoned those plans, but she still felt the desire to attend the concert.

As she waited for the transaction to take place, she briefly wondered what kind of outfit her old friend would have worn. From what she understood, Hotaru had a normal teenage years and a brief rebellious period while in college. She might have come dressed to kill! Usa liked the thought of Hotaru, dressed in impossibly high heels and a short skirt, waving a glow stick around. Make that several glow sticks.

With the ticket in hand, she began to scan the crowd, looking for Ciara Donovan. The other woman may not have been receptive to her, but she eventually did call Usa. More than that, she agreed to meet her for the concert.

"You wore open-toed shoes?" Came Ciara's familiar dialect. "To a concert?"

Usa caught a glimpse of Ciara's outfit-it was as outrageous as everyone else'-before she glanced down at her own pair of boot sandals. They looked fine. In fact, she thought the various buckles on them fit right in with what everyone else was wearing. "What's wrong with them?" she asked, remembering to speak English around Ciara.

"You might get your feet stepped on." Ciara pointed out.

Curiously, Usa glanced at her ticket. Instead of listing a seat order, she paled slightly when she saw it was general admission. "Crap!"

"Let me think. I'm a size seven...which is a twenty-five here?" Ciara puzzled out loud. "Are you a size twenty five? We could switch shoes if you really want to. My feet at so calloused, I wouldn’t notice.”

Usa was not even close to that shoe size. Nor did she have any intention of wearing someone's shoes. The offer was gross, but much appreciated since Ciara's was seemingly more amiable than when she first met her in the hospital. Ciara may not be a senshi and her past life may not help her and Hotaru out too much, but she was only a year older than her. Being with someone her own age was refreshing. Thinking quick, Usa said, "I'm okay. Who knows, people could say they had the chance to step on the Crown Princesses' toes."

Ciara, who was unsure how to react, gave an awkward smile as they passed the bored looking ticket taker. "I'm going to get a drink." she said. "You don't mind if I drink, do you?"

Usa just raised an eyebrow. "How dare you." she chastised in a deadpan tone. This time, Ciara looked genuinely amused.

Usa observed the older woman did not look like she had been in the strung out on painkillers in hospital only days before. Hotaru had healed Ciara’s wounds, but she wondered how well they healed. “If you’re on painkillers, should you still be drinking?” Usa questioned in a mild tone of voice in hopes she would not offend Ciara.

Ciara just waved off the question and got in line for the bar. “It’s fine. Besides, it’s the Fourth of July!” Realizing she just admitted to celebrating the American Independence Day to the Crown Princess, she quickly added. “Which is only observed for the heavy drinking and fireworks.”

Usagi was at least wise enough to have brought a small purse with only a few belongings in it while Ciara's purse was fairly large by comparison.

When the pair arrived at the front of the line, Ciara had her wallet out. "Put your money away. I'm paying." Usagi did not know much about the military, but she knew one thing: the pay was not the best. Growing up, Mama and Papa had allowed her to have sake or a glass of wine on occasion. When she first entered college, she had drank at a few parties she attended. But after a near scandal, Usa was reluctant to touch alcohol until she was of legal drinking age.

Now that she was, Usa glanced over at the selection. To say the least, she felt intimidated by it all. She used to just drink whatever was offered.  "What do you recommend?" she asked.

"It depends. Do you want something strong or fruity?" Ciara asked.

“Um…Not strong.” Usa said. “So I guess super fruity.”

“You can do a bomb.” Ciara said. “You can’t even taste the alcohol in those. “

Usa remembered all too well the one time she had done a shot bomb. That was not an experience she was willing to relive.  “I’ll pass. Keep it not very alcoholic.”

"By now, the bartender was waiting on one of them to say something.  "She's going to order for me, but I'll pay."

Ciara thought a moment before she began to order. “I’ll have a, ugh…I don’t know how to say it in Japanese.” Instead of bothering stumbling over her horrible Japanese, she pointed towards a white bottle that depicted a setting sun behind two palm trees. Usa read the bottle and seemed satisfied with Ciara’s choice.

“How do you say ‘pineapple juice’ in Japanese?” Ciara quickly asked Usa, who did not even need to say anything because the bartender seemed to understand. “And then a Redbull and that.” Ciara finished, pointing to a cherry flavored vodka.

"Redbull and vodka?" Usa questioned once she paid. "That sounds awful!"

"It's not that bad." Ciara said. "I guess it’s an acquired taste though.”

When she got her drink, she sniffed it before taking a cautious sip. It wasn’t bad, she decided.  If she did not see the bartender pour the alcohol into her glass, Usa would have not been able to tell there was alcohol in her beverage to begin with. 

Once they entered the room with the stage, Usa was feeling a little more at ease with Ciara. She still felt out of place at the concert, but she hoped she could unwind a little once the music started. She noticed a blonde girl with red tipped hair staring in her direction. Unsure if she was recognized as Princess Usagi or not, Usa just nodded in the woman's direction. In return, the woman flashed Usa a wicked smile before giving two thumbs up.

Unsure how to respond, Usa just gave woman two thumbs up in return. It seemed like the right thing to do. "Let's go over there." she suggested to Ciara, pointing towards the back of the venue.

"Good idea. When the music starts up, the crowd usually rushes the stage. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like having my ribs crushed against a metal gate for two hours.”

Once more, Usa realized she was very out of place here. She felt like she was being suffocated already. Being crammed together and forced against a...metal gate sounded unbearable. How anyone thought that was fun was beyond her level of comprehension.

Unfortunately, when the music started, she realized that this was not the place for her.

\---

"What a crowd, eh?" the drummer said to the bassist. The bassist had white razor cut hair that fell to her shoulders and wispy bangs that desperately needed a trim before they fell into her sky-blue eyes. Out of all the other band members who were pale, she had dark tan skin.

"At least they won't go crazy like the British or God forbid, the Americans." the bassist replied.

"Rumor has it the princess is in the crowd." The drummer continued. "Of course, every female with pink hair is automatically Princess Usagi."

"Look at my face." The bassist instructed. Once she noted that her drummer complied, she continued. "See this face? This is the face that doesn't give a fuck."

"God, Spencer. You are such a royalist. A true supporter of the monarchy. A patriot." the drummer remarked. "Whatever. I'm going to have a smokey smoke before we start. Could I bum one off of you?"

"I quit." Spencer said. Nonetheless, she produced a cigarette and handed one to her band mate.

Once she was alone, Spencer risked looking into the crowd. She wondered if the princess really was in the crowd. Either way, she thought, it was going to be a good show.

\---

"I had no idea we were standing where the mosh pits starts!" Ciara shouted to Usa after they got out of the pit. In addition on being ignorant on the rationale behind rushing a stage, Usa was also oblivious to the fact that slamming into one another violently constituted as someone's idea of fun. At least people had been kind enough to grab her purse and hold it up for her to retrieve when she was knocked down.

"Can we go somewhere else?" Usa shouted. The music was not her taste at all, but she woke up this morning, determined that she would go to this concert and have fun.

"You want to leave?!"

Usa thought about it. "No. Just somewhere else!"

"We can try the balcony. They might be closed though.” Ciara motioned for Usa to follow her while she lead the way towards the balcony.

Just as Ciara said, someone on security was blocking the entrance. Usa did not want to leave the concert altogether, but she did not want to go anywhere near the mosh pit. She produced two forms of identification and handed them to the security guard, whose eyes widened like saucers. "S-S-sorry, Your Highness. But the balcony is closed." he stammered over the sound of the band. He bowed multiple times while he talked. "There's construction going on. You can try the backstage. I'll radio that you're coming."

"Thank you so much!" Usa called after the guard.

She stood on her tip toes to determine the safest path to get to the stage. Initially, Usa politely shouted, apologies as she made her way through the crowd. Eventually, Ciara moved in front of her. Taking the princess by one hand, she used the other to elbow her way through the crowd.

Usa was aghast and wondered if this was standard practice in America. She knew American manners were bad, but not THIS bad!

After what seemed like an eternal journey through hot and sweaty bodies, Usa and Ciara emerged from the crowd to come face-to-face with another security guard. Before Usa could announce herself, there was a loud explosion to her right. Screams filled the hall only to be drowned out by the fire alarms going off. Usa quickly stood on the stairs to examine the scene. If anyone was injured, she could not see because the terrified attendees began a stampede towards the nearest exit signs.

Another explosion shook the hall and this time, she saw tongues of fire emerge from the crowd. Despite her inebriated state, she was able to register the enemy was present. Grabbing her transformation wand, she shouted, "MOON CELESTIAL POWER! MAKE UP!"

\---

"Damn it!" Spencer swore as she ducked for cover through gritted teeth. A fireball had consumed the stage and while Spencer got out, she had no idea what happened to the rest of the band. There was chaos all around her and Spencer only wished she was able to get to the nearest exit, but the rush of humanity towards the emergency exits was an easy target for whoever the hell that pseudo-Sailor Guardian was.

Pulling her shirt up to prevent from inhaling too much smoke, Spencer looked down at a pile of flaming debris where several people were stuck under there. With reckless abandon, she grabbed one side and pulled upwards in attempt to free the people underneath. "Fuuuuuuuuck!" she swore when she realized she was not going to be able to move it by herself.

There was nothing she could do but abandon whoever was under the debris and hope she could find another escape route without being incinerated.

_Use my power…_

Quickly crouching down, Spencer’s eyes darted around in each direction. She had thought she heard someone talking to her, but with the noise from all around her, Spencer dismissed the idea. She had to stay sharp and focused because Spencer knew if she didn’t, she was not going to make it out of the building alive. However, with each movement, her nose began to run even more and soon, the tears produced from her smoke irritated eyes made seeing nearly impossible.

 _I am not going to let you die here._ Once more, Spencer’s head turned to where she thought she heard a voice. This time, she was not mistaken as she felt something warm be pushed into her hand by an unseen presence.  _Use my power and fight back._

\---

Neo Sailor Moon held out the Celestial Scepter; the Silver Crystal emitted a faint hue as Sailor Moon focused her energy. "Silver Moon Salvation!" she cried. The glow of the silver crystal intensified until the room was engulfed in a silver light that extinguished the remaining fires. Through the crowd that had yet to disperse, Neo Moon recognized the woman who had given her two thumbs up earlier that evening. Her outfit had changed into an identical outfit as Elemental Champions Quintessence and Water only the outfit was red with orange accents.

"Is the princess not enjoying the concert?” Elemental Champion Fire taunted as tongues of fire appeared in her hands. "I’m sorry. Is this more your speed?”

Once more, flames flew in every direction and it took everything Sailor Moon had to not shut her eyes and cover her ears to shut out the screams from the remaining people. She could feel the heat radiating from off of her face.

 _Move_! She screamed at herself just in time to dodge out of the way from a falling lights. She felt useless, her attack stopped the fires from spreading further, but did nothing to stop the enemy from attacking once more. She looked like she had not been affected by the attack in the slightest.

In the twentieth century, she had her mother stepping in to save her or the other Sailor Guardians. On her birthday, she was ineffective. It was Saturn who saved the day and Hotaru wasn't here.

Through the sounds of the fire and anguished screams of the injured, Sailor Moon heard a voice call out: “Twisted Planet!”

Sailor Moon caught glimpse of a sphere composed of swirling blue and yellow energy that flew past her and hit Elemental Champion Fire with enough force to pick her up and slam her into a nearby wall.

Sailor Moon searched the room until her eyes fell on a sailorfuku clad woman with white hair. Her facial expression was contorted and sweat began dripping down her face as if she were exerting herself beyond her limits.  The Space Sword was at the woman’s side and held with a certain level of awkwardness.  

Upon her transforming from Sailor Chibi Moon to Neo Sailor Moon, her uniform had undergone a change. The new Sailor Guardian’s uniform was similar to her current one: a dark blue bodysuit and skirt. The bows were longer than her mother’s and were the same color as the collar and stripe at the bottom of her skirt: gold.

It was a Sailor Uranus! Mama and Papa were wrong after all. Sailor Moon hated the fact that it took Haruka’s death to awaken a new Sailor Guardian, but she was still thankful for the help.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Uranus snarled at her. "DO SOMETHING!"

Neo Sailor Moon wanted to do something, but her attack already proved ineffective. Just as she was about to try her first attack, a new idea came over her. Holding her scepter, she focused her energy and the scepter grew into a staff that she held above her head and felt not only her energy being built up, but the Silver Crystal's as well. "LUNAR DOMINION!" she screamed, slamming the staff on the ground.

Silence fell over the room as Sailor Moon exerted her will on the outcome she wanted. Elemental Champion Fire began to shriek before she teleported away. She could hear the sounds of fire engines from outside. "We should go. There isn't anything more we can do here." she said to Sailor Uranus who was approaching her. The look on her face darkened.

"Of course there isn't. It's because you were standing there, having a tea party while people around you were dying! Why didn't you do something?" she demanded.

Sailor Moon considered it. "I tried. I’m still new at this and there’s no rule book for every situation.” Sailor Moon wanted desperately to defend herself. Yet, this was not the time or place. The newly awakened Sailor Uranus also did not seem impressed with the answer.

 "Let's get out of here and go someplace safe. You can criticize me there. I am still trying to process everything."

The look in the newly awakened Sailor Guardian’s eyes were cold fury. Both Sailor Moon and the new Sailor Guardian turned their heads as Ciara approached. Or rather slowly staggered towards them. Whatever happened during the fight, she clearly injured herself again. "Where would we go?" Neo Sailor Uranus asked.

"The Crystal Palace." Neo Sailor Moon said.

Neo Sailor Uranus bit the bottom of her lip before surveying the scene. "I won't be able to know what happened to my bandmates by sticking around here anyway." She mused. "Let's go."

 


End file.
